Heat treating apparatus



- May 23, 1939. K. H. ELLER 2,159,800

HEAT TREATING APPARATUS Filed April 7,1938- Fi.4. Fi .2. v u

Inventor:

1V 6: y r-ligAttor ney Karl H-KeLlen" Patented May 23, 1939 UNITEDSTATES 2,159,800 HEAT TREATING APPARATUS Karl H. Keller,

Cleveland Heights, Ohio, asslgnor 1 to General Electric Company, acorporation of New York I 6 Claims.

My invention relates to heat treating apparatus and more particularly toapparatus for automatically heat treating the end portions of wires? orsimilar'ar'ticles, such as the leading-in wires for incandescentelectric lamps or the like.

It issometimes desirable to heat treat the inner end portions ofleading-in wires which are attached to a-lamp filament in order todrive-off the occluded gas therein and to anneal them, in accordancewith the disclosure in Patent 1,992,798, W. P. Zabel, February 26, 1935.If this is not done, the occluded gases in the said end portions of theleads areliberate'd by the heat of the "filament and cause early failureof, the said filament. Moreover,-the ends of the leading-in wirestreatment of the end portions of the lead wires reduces the intensity ofvibrations transmitted to the filament and thus increases the life'ofthe lamp.

One of the objects'of my invention is to provide apparatus forautomatically heattreating the end'portions'of leading-in wireseconomically on avecommercial scale of production. Another object ofmy-lnvention is to provide apparatus foithis purpose which accuratelycontrols the heattreatment and confines it to a definite length of thewires. Other features and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the description which follows and from the accompanying drawing ofone species thereo In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan] view Of apparatuscomprising my invention; Fig. 2- is a section thereof along the dot-dashline 2-2 of Fig; 1; Fig. 3 is a side-elevation showing the heat treatingfires, the ends of the leading-in wires being treated and adjacentpartsof the apparatus; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view, on an enlargedscale,

of a plug member for supporting a bundle of wires and admitting gasthereto.

The machine shown in the drawing comprises a plurality (six) of heads lmounted at equally spaced intervals about the periphery of the turret II which is indexed in a counter-clockwise direction in movements; ofonly 30 degrees, although the heads e spaced 60 degrees apart. Each headIt is, in this instance, adapted to treat a cated within the paper tubel3 and are inserted {fbundle of 200-leading-in wires l2 which are intotubular holders I! of the heads it ateither station I or II. The holdersI! have flanged ends lr-x-lrend-ereleeetea within cylindrical shells areindexed to station III which causes them to l5. The said holders I5; arepreferably provided in the holder which frictionally engages the in somecases are so hard and rigid, particularly rying the heads I!) intostation II causes a reducing gas, in this case hydrogen, to bead-.Application April "z, 1938, SerialNo. 200,717 (01. 266-5) ina varietyof sizes to hold loosely various sizes of bundles of wires. The endofpaper tube 13, which extends beyond the lower end of the leading-inwires I2, rests, on the adjustable plug l1 walls of the holder and is solocated Ltherein as to'cause the upper end portions of the leadinginwires l2, which are to be heat treated, to extend above the shell I 6.Usually only one-half to one-quarter inch of the ends of the leading-inwires is heat treated. The vertically extending shell It, as shown, ismounted directly on an arm I8 extending irom the turret II and is closedat its lower end by said arm l8. The turret H is supported by means(notshown) engaging the hollow shaft l9 and isindexed at'intervals by the.wheel whichis located on the lower end of said shaft l9 and carries aroller 2| for each head I 0-on the turret ll. As each head isrepresented by a roller, the indexing motion consists inadvanci'ng xheroller to the position occupied by the preceding roller. The indexingtakes place 23. While the heads are not in motion, they are held inposition by the presence of the uncurved DOrtionof cam 22 between two ofthe rollers.

Patent 2,021,001 shows this commonh'form of inv dexing apparatus ingreater detail.

The indexing movement of the turret ll carmitted into the bottom of theshell l6 through the'openmg 25 and to pass through holes 25 (Fig.

4) in plug I! to displace the air in the holder I5 around the bundle ofleading-in wires l2. The gas reaches the opening 25 through the valve 26which is connected thereto by thepipe I! and is also cormecte'd to theupper chamber 28 in the distributing manifold 29 by the pipe 30. Thevalve 26 is provided with a pin 3| which controls the gas flowtherethrough and which is moved back therein (or radially 'outward) byengagement with the rise of the cam 32. The movement of the pin 3|compresses the spring 33 and re- 1 moves the flanged head 3| of the pin3| from 'its seat in thevalve 26 to permit the gas to flow. Thedistributing manifold 29 is mounted on the supporting bracket 34 on theturret II and receives the reducing gas from a source (not shown)through the pipe 35 which issealed by the packiiig 36. The arm 31prevents the pipe 35 fr m turning with the distributlngmanifold 29.Following the loading operation, the heads I0 leading-in wires l2 being.heat treatment but sleeve l6 are protected by the reducing gas thereand44 located at station IV direct a very concentrated flame onto the upperend portions of the leading-in wires l2 which are raised to atemperature of more than 940 C. during the 12 seconds indexing period'used and are annealed to 1 inch back from the end. In the particularcase shown, the portions of the usual three-part treated are made ofnickel and their upper ends are bent back to form open hooks which holdsaid wires I2 a little apart.

Because of the hooks, the leading-in wires l2 form a tapering mass whichis wedged into the end of paper tube l3 which in turn protects the verypliable portions of the wires within the tube The portions of theleading-in wires I! extend-- ing beyond the shell l6 are oxidized duringthe those portions within the in which excludes the atmosphere and coolsthe leading-in wires l2 so that they are not materially heated below thetop edge of the sleeve. l6. To produce the necessary cooling effect, thereducing gas is cooled both by contact with the distributing manifold 29and the holder [5, the former of which is cooled 'by a flow. of waterthrough the lower chamber 45 therein and the latter of which is cooledindirectly through the sleeve l6 by the subsequent flow of the waterthrough the coil 46 surrounding saidsleeve IS. The cooling water entersthe chamber 45 from a source not shown through the pipe 41 which extendsdown through .the hollow shaft l9 and is held against rotation by astationary member not shown. The pipe 41 is sealed to the distributingmanifold 29 by the packing 49. In leaving the chamber 45, thewater'passes through each of the pipes 49 which is coiled to form a coil46 which is soldered directly to a shell Hi, the water the hollow post54. Movement then flowing out the other end of the pipe 49 which islocated over the draining trough 50. The drain trough 59 extendscompletely around the turret under the draining ends of the pipes 49 andempties into the pipe 5|. A valve 52 is provided at the bottom of thesleeve It to drain away water condensing therein because of itscoolness.

The hydrogen escaping from the top of the sleeve It continues to burnafter the heads III are indexed irom station IV and even burns above thehole in the top of a cap 53 which is placed over said sleeve l6 midwaybetween stations IV and V. The cap 53 is hinged to the hollow post 54extending upward from the turret H and is tipped into place on thesleeve It by an upward movement of a rod 55 located within of the rod 55is caused by the indexing movement which carries the lower end oi saidrod over the inclined surface or the 'cam 59 mounted on a stationarypart or the apparatus. The purpose of the cap 53 is to gather and holdthe hydrogen flowing upward through the shell I. about the ends oi! theleading-in wires I! to cause the oxide thereon to be reduced, to preventthe atmosphere from coming in contact with them and causing furtheroxidation, and to: increase their rate of cooling.

The cap'fl'is preferably provided with a flangedlower rim 3' which seatson the top 0! the shell l9 and retards the escape of hydrogen thereofand the flow of hydrogen is cut off. The flow of hydrogen is cut off bythe pin 3| of valve 26 which passes over a drop portion of cam 32 atthis station. The indexing motion carrying the head Ill from station)!carries the pin 58 extending from the side of the cap 53 into contactwith a stationary cam 59 having a rising contour which lifts the pin 58and. the cap 53 from the shell l6 to a point where the 'cap 53 fallsback onto the end of the rod 55. No operations are performed at stationsXI and XII, and the bundles of treated leading-in wires l2. are removedfrom the heads Iii at these points.

While I have shown one species of my invention, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that various changes, additions orsubstitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In apparatus of the type described, the combinationof a holder forenclosing all but an end of a bundle of wires to be heat treated, aburner mounted adjacent said holder and arranged to direct a flame ontothe exposed end of said bundle of wires, means for introducing areducing gas into said holder, a cap adapted. to be placed over theexposed end of said bundle of wires after the heat treatment of the endthereof to confine the reducing gas and reduce oxidation of the wires;and cooling means surrounding said holder.

2. In apparatusof the type described, the com bination of a turretarranged to be indexed intermittently, a plurality-of heads mounted onsaid turret each comprising a holder for enclosing all but an end of abundle of wires to be heat treated, a cap mounted adjacent said holderand arranged to be moved over to enclose the exposed end of the bundleof wires protruding therefrom, and means for introducing a reducing asinto said holder, a burner located at an indexing station of said turretand arranged to direct a flame against the exposed end of the bundle ofwires in each of said heads, and means for moving the said caps on eachof said heads over the said end of the bundle of wires in the adjacentholder when said holder has been indexed away from the station occupiedby said burner.

3. In apparatus of the type described, the combination of a turretarranged to beindexed intermittently, a' plurality of heads mounted onsaid turret each comprising a holder for enclosing a but an end of abundle of wires to be heat treated, a cap mounted adjacent said holderand arranged to be moved over to enclose the exposed end of. the bundleof wires protruding therefrom,

means for introducing a reducing gasinto said holder, and means.surroundingsaid holder for conducting a cooling liquid thereabout, aburner located at an indexing station of the turret and i 4. Inapparatus of the type describe dithe combination of a turret arranged tobe indexed in- A termittently, a pluralityof heads located on saidturret each comprising a vertically disposed sleeve, a tubular holderlocated in said'sleeve and adaptedtto hold abundle -of wires withtheupper,

end thereof extending upwardly beyond the top of said sleeve, acapmounted adjacent said sleeve,

means for introducinga reducing gas into the .lower endof thesleev e, aburner located at an indexing stationof said turret and [arranged todirecta flameagainst the exposed upper end of the bundle of wires eachof said heads; and means for movingthe said caps on each of said headsover the saidupper end of the bundle of 5. In apparatus of the typedescribed, the combinationof a turret arranged to be indexed in- Qtermittently, a plurality of heads located on said adapted tohold abundle of turret 1 each comprising a vertically disposed sleeve, atubular holder located in said sleeve and wires with the upper endthereof extending upwardly beyond the top of said sleeve, sleeve, meansfor introducing a reducing gas into {the lower end of thesleeve, atubular coil closely surrounding said sleeve for conducting a,coolingliquid thereabout, a burner located at an indexi in: station of saidturret and arranged to direct a flame; against the exposed upper end ofthe a cap mounted adjacent said' bundle or wires in each of said heads,and means for moving the said caps on each of said heads over the saidupper end of the bundle of wires in the adjacent holder when .saidholder has been indexed away from the station occupied by said burner. I

6. In apparatus of the type described, the combination of a turretarranged to be indexed intermittently, a plurality of heads located onsaid turret each comprising. a vertically disposed sleeve, a tubularholder located in said sleeve and adapted to hold a bundle of wires withthe upper end thereof extending upwardly beyond the top of said sleeve,a cap mounted adjacent said sleeve, means for introducing a reducing gasinto the lowerend of said sleeve, and a tubular coil closely surroundingsaid sleeve for conducting a cooling liquid thereabout, a valve mountedadjacent each head for controlling the flow of re ducing gas thereto, acam mounted on the axis of rotation of said turret and engaged by thevalve in each of said heads for discontinuing the flow of reducing gasat loading and unloading stations of the heads, a burner located at anindexing station of said turret and arranged to direct a flame againstthe exposed upper end of the bundle of wires in each of said heads, and

means for moving the said caps on eachof said heads over the said upperend of the bundle of wires in the adjacent holder when said holder hasbeen indexed away from the station occupied by said burner.

